Before we get started… |
What would happen if you left your business for 30 days? |
No laptop. No Zoom. No “just checking in”… completely “off the grid.” |
If the honest answer is “It would fall apart”… that’s a problem, because it won’t get better as you grow. (Growth doesn’t fix problems…it exposes them) |
That’s why I just posted a 15-minute video that explains how we’ve helped over 500 founders build businesses that actually run (and scale) without them. |
If you like this newsletter and you want my help implementing these systems in your business (so you can grow your sales and margins while also taking more time off), you can get the details and apply here to work with me. |
Ok, back to this week’s issue… |
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I just had a call with a client that started with 5 words I never want to hear… |
"Ryan…we have a problem." |
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| - My Client |
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A major customer that he was counting on to make the quarter had just given notice. It wasn’t their biggest client, but big enough that losing them meant payroll was going to be tight in about 30 days. |
He wasn't panicking (yet), but the math wasn't mathing and he knew it. |
If you've been in business for more than 10 minutes, you’ve had this experience. Maybe not the lost customer… |
Maybe it's the surprise tax bill… Maybe it’s the bank calling a loan or cutting a line of credit… Maybe it’s tariffs, supplier price hike, or supply chain disruption… |
…or maybe it's all of these (and more) all at once! |
Whatever the cause, every business owner eventually has a moment where they look at the bank balance, look at the calendar, and say… |
"Holy crap…. I need cash NOW!" |
The good news? You don't need to launch a new offer, sell a new client, or secure a last-minute loan. |
All you need are three short, simple emails that I've sent (and watched our portfolio companies send) every time the cash gets tight. |
Here they are… |
Email #1: The Invisible Offer |
The first place to look when cash gets tight isn’t in the “new” (new customers, new products, new loans”… |
…it’s in the “old” customers and prospects who already know you, like you, and who are ready, willing, and able to buy something else from you. |
That’s what this first email is all about, and it’s so subtle it doesn’t even feel like a sales pitch. |
Here’s how it works… |
Handpick 25 – 50 of your top customers and warmest prospects, and send each of them a one-on-one message (email, SMS, or even a voice note…this is NOT a mass blast) that goes something like this: |
"Hey [Name], quick question…what's one thing you'd love our help with that we don't currently offer?" |
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Or… |
"Hey [Name], What's one thing you wish we offered that we currently don't? Even a one-line answer would be a huge help.” |
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If you want a longer version, you can send something like: |
Subject: Quick question for you, [First Name] Hi [First Name], Quick question I've been asking our top customers: What's one thing you wish we offered that we currently don't? It could be anything: a product, a service, training, support, a tool, something that would help you grow or run things better. Even a one-line reply would be incredibly helpful. I appreciate you being part of [your community / customer base]. — [Your Name] |
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What happens next is wild: about half the replies will describe something you already sell. |
“But that’s crazy,” you say. “My people already know what we do and what we offer.” |
I hate to break it to you, but NO THEY DON’T. |
They either never knew, or they did and they just forgot. The point is, they’re way more focused on their own lives to remember everything about you and your business. |
So when they reply asking for something you already offer, just respond with something like: |
"Great news! We actually have that…here's where you can grab it." |
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Instant sale. No pitch. They literally asked for it. |
The other replies? Those are gold of a different kind. |
When they ask for something you DON'T sell, your customers have just handed you a validated product idea on a silver platter, with a ready-made list of buyers attached. |
It’s your choice if you choose to sell these new ideas right then and there. It’s not the most focused and efficient, but when cash is tight, it’s better than stealing bread. |
💡 Pro Tip: Personalization is the whole game here. Use the person's first name and keep it short and sweet. The second this feels like a survey blast, replies drop to zero. |
Email #2: The "This Stops Now" Email |
When you’re in a cash crisis, the goal isn’t just to bring more cash through the front door. You also need to stop the cash that's quietly walking out the back door. |
That’s what this next email does… |
…it aligns your team in cutting all the “hidden” expenses that everyone forgot about: the free trials that auto-renewed, the tools that no one is using, the vendors that you stopped using but never stopped billing. |
The fix is one email, sent to every leader on your team with spending authority: |
Subject: This Stops Today Hey Team, I was reviewing our monthly recurring expenses and they've gotten out of control. We're paying for tools and services I know we aren't using…and in some cases, probably don't even remember buying. This stops today. Here's what I need you to do:
Export your credit card charges for the last 3 – 6 months. Filter for recurring payments and sort them from most to least expensive. Bring your list to a meeting on [date/time] where we'll review every line and build a Keep, Kill, and Question list. At the end of that meeting, we'll cancel the Kill list and add up exactly how much cash we just freed up. It's going to feel really good to get this cleaned up. – [Your Name] |
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This email works because it does two things at once: you’re being firm (even a little threatening) at the top, but you’re also inviting collaboration. You're not blaming the team. You're inviting them to help you fix it. |
After you send the email, you need to actually have the meeting. |
Schedule it for 90 minutes, and run down the expense list and have people call out, “KEEP,” “KILL,” or “QUESTION. If there’s a disagreement, then it’s “QUESTION” and you can discuss it as a team after going through the entire list. |
Once your “QUESTIONS” have all become “KEEPS” or “KILLS,” it’s time to start cutting. IMPORTANT: No one leaves the room until every "Kill" expense is actually canceled (or the cancellation process has been started). |
We free up at least $10K/month in wasted spend every time we run this play… except when it’s A LOT more. |
💡 Pro Tip: Make the running total visible during the meeting. Watching a real number climb in real time turns expense-cutting from a chore into a game. ("That's $3,200/month back…let's see how high we can get this thing.") |
Email #3: The Handraiser |
The first two emails handle your current customers and your current expenses. |
The third one goes after the cash that's hiding inside your existing list, specifically, the leads who said "Not now" a month, a quarter, or a year ago…and then were quietly forgotten. |
Here's the math that should scare you a little: only 3 – 6% of your leads are ready to buy right now. The other 94%? They're still thinking, still processing, still waiting for the right moment. |
And the biggest mistake you can make (aside from treating your entire list like they’re in the 3 – 6%) is to guess at who that 3 – 6% is. |
That’s where the Handraiser comes in… |
The Handraiser is a one-line email designed to make the "ready now" buyers self-identify…without annoying the other 94 – 97% who aren’t ready now. |
You'll know it's working when you start getting one-line replies that say things like, "Actually, yes, we are still working on that…" or "Funny you asked, we were just talking about this last week." |
Here are three Handraiser variants. Pick whichever one fits your situation best. (Or, go nuts and send all three over the next 30 days… I won’t tell.) |
Variant 1: The "Are You Still?" Email |
Subject: Are you still working on [goal]? Hey [First Name], Last time we talked, you wanted to [specific outcome]. Are you still working on that? Is that still a priority? – [Your Name] |
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This one reopens a loop. It reminds them of the reason they raised their hand in the first place, without sounding like a pitch. |
Variant 2: The "Can I Help?" Email |
Subject: Can I help? Anything I can do to help [you / your company] move faster? – [Your Name] |
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I love this one because I've never met a business owner who DIDN'T wish they were moving faster. It's universally relevant, takes 10 seconds to write, and converts way better than something three times its length. |
Variant 3: The One-Question Close |
Subject: Quick question, [First Name] Hey [Name], I know we talked about [offer] but it wasn't the right time. What would need to happen for this to make sense for you now? – [Your Name] |
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This is the one I'd send first if you've got a list of "dead" leads from the last 6 – 12 months. It transforms their previous "no" into a "not yet"…and gives them permission to change their mind without admitting they were wrong. |
Most won't reply. That's fine. Some will say "not interested"…great, you just disqualified them. And some will reply with their real objection, which you can now solve. |
Either way, you win. |
Ok, now you have (at least) three emails you can send any time you find yourself in a cash crunch (or just any time you wish you had more sales and profit). |
One asks your warmest people what they wish you sold. One asks your team to help you stop the bleed. One asks your "dead" leads if they're really dead (or just asleep).
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These emails are tested and proven across hundreds of businesses in dozens of industries, so I’m confident they’ll work for you, too. |
So…which one are you going to send first? |
⚡️ Action Step: Pick ONE of the three emails above (the one that fits your situation best), customize it for your business, and send it TODAY. Don't overthink it…don't perfect it…just hit send. (And do it even if you aren’t in a cash crisis!) |
Give them a shot, and let me know how it goes… |
-Ryan |
Ryan Deiss
Co-Founder and CEO, The Scalable Company |
P.S. I'm looking for 5 business owners who want to work 1-on-1 with my team and me to install a custom "operating system"…so your business can scale and so you can finally exit the day-to-day. |
We don't just teach you to build assets. We build the operating system with you. |
Click here for the details. |
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